With heavy storms wreaking havoc on California roads to the tune of $600 million — damages that Caltrans says could top $1 billion by spring — Bay Area traffic heavyweights joined forces Monday to push for higher gas taxes and auto registration fees to raise $6 billion a year for the state’s dilapidated roads.

“It is fiscally irresponsible to wait until our roads fail,” said State Sen. Jim Beall, D-San Jose, chairman of the state Senate Transportation Committee, at a press conference to garner support for his gas tax bill. “We can’t ignore repairs. Eventually, we have to pay.”

SB-1 would hike the state gas tax by 12 cents a gallon over three years, charge electric cars an annual fee of $100 and increase the registration for all vehicles by $38. San Jose would be one of the big winners, getting $39 million a year from Beall’s measure, with $19 million more coming from the Measure B sales tax approved in November. San Jose transportation director Jim Ortbal called it a game changer, “huge.”

He was one of several officials who joined Beall at River Glen Park in San Jose to voice support for the gas tax bill. Also in attendance was Mayor Sam Liccardo, Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese, Orinda City Councilwoman Amy Worth, and several leaders in the business community.

California currently faces a $130 billion shortfall that is growing worse each rainy day. The number of counties with pavement conditions in the “poor” or “at risk” category has grown from 42 in 2008 to 52 in 2016, Caltrans reports. Car repairs due to potholes cost drivers in California an average of $762 annually, a figure that rises to $978 in San Francisco and Oakland and $863 in the South Bay, according to TRIP, a national transportation advocacy group. The nation’s three most deteriorated roads are in the regions of San Francisco/Oakland, Los Angeles/Orange counties and San Jose, according to the California Transportation Commission.

Beall’s bill is one of several proposals being considered to raise money to fix California roads.

Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed setting the state’s gas tax at 21.5 cents per gallon, up from 18 cents. His plan includes a new $65 annual fee on all vehicles, and $500 million from greenhouse gas pollution credits while Assemblyman Jim Frazier, D-Oakley, has a bill that largely copies Beall’s.

Republicans and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, however, oppose any tax increases and, instead, want to divert money from the high-speed rail project and the state’s general fund to filling potholes.
“California’s transportation crisis can no longer be ignored,” said Jon Coupal, president of the taxpayers group. “How to pay for all that? The Democrats predictably would like to raise taxes.
“Not only do we disagree, but it is abundantly clear that practically all of this backlog can be funded using existing general fund resources.”
But Beall doesn’t want the general fund touched for road repairs. “That’s a non-starter,” he said. “No way.”
Coupal suggests taking nearly $9 billion in bonds from high-speed rail for road construction.
“If voter approval is deemed necessary,” Coupal said, “that measure passes in a heartbeat.”

Brown and Democratic leaders want the Legislature to come to an agreement on a road-funding package by April 6 when lawmakers leave for spring recess. They attempted this two years ago, but no deal was reached.
This year may be different, however. Democrats control both the Assembly and Senate by super majorities, making a required two-thirds vote easier.
But raising the gas tax — it was last increased in 1994 — remains controversial. In the meantime, inflation, more fuel-efficient cars, and electric and hybrid vehicles have eroded transportation funding by 50 percent over the years.

As a result, the roads are taking a hit — and it’s affecting how we drive.

Steve Schmidt of Palo Alto rides the yellow or white line on Highway 84 between Interstate 680 and Livermore to avoid a particular bad set of potholes as you come ” down Pigeon Pass heading toward 680.”
And Brian Serpa of San Jose finds himself driving much slower to avoid potholes on Highway 17 and often uses the shoulder to do so.
“I don’t know which is worse,” he said. “Keeping up with traffic and hitting some potholes, and possibly damaging my car, or using the shoulder while dodging potholes and risking a fine.”

County road repairs per year
Alameda: $34.4 million
Contra Costa: $28.8 million
Marin: $7.8 million
Monterey: $14.3 million
Napa: $5.5 million
San Francisco $16.2 million
San Joaquin: $23 million
San Mateo: $19.3 million
Santa Clara: $43.3 million
Santa Cruz: $8.9 million
Solano: $12.5 million
Sonoma: $18.98 million

Gary Richards has covered traffic and transportation in the Bay Area as Mr. Roadshow since 1992. Prior to that he was an assistant sports editor at the paper from 1984-1987. He started his journalism career as a sports editor in Iowa in 1975.